# Sunwise > Sunwise (sunwise.org.au) is a free sun-safety tool made for Australian conditions, working worldwide: it estimates your Fitzpatrick skin type from an inner-arm photo (analysed in memory, never stored), reads the live UV index where you stand, and gives honest time-before-sunburn estimates with and without SPF 50 — plus a live sun-session tracker for signed-in users. Educational only, not medical advice. Key facts: - Burn-time model: minutes to first redness ≈ MED ÷ (1.5 × UV index). MED (minimal erythema dose, J/m²) by Fitzpatrick type: I=200, II=250, III=350, IV=450, V=600, VI=1000. SPF 50 multiplies time by 50, capped at 4 hours because sunscreen must be reapplied every 2 hours. - Timelines and session planning integrate the day's real hourly UV curve (1-minute trapezoids, dose rate 1.5 × UVI J/m² per minute); low-risk sessions stay under 75% of MED. - Skin type from a photo uses the ITA° colour angle (dermatology-standard CIELAB metric) mapped to Fitzpatrick types I–VI. - Live UV data: Open-Meteo (open-meteo.com), CC BY 4.0. Reverse geocoding: BigDataCloud. - Coverage: live UV pages for ~16,000 Australian suburbs and towns; coordinates work anywhere in the world. - Free, no ads. Accounts are optional (email-only, passwordless) and add cross-device skin-type sync plus sun-session history. ## MCP server for AI agents - [MCP guide](https://sunwise.org.au/mcp): how to connect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client - Public endpoint (no account): https://sunwise.org.au/api/mcp — tools: get_uv_index, check_skin_type, get_burn_time - Signed-in endpoint (OAuth 2.1 + PKCE, email-code sign-in): https://sunwise.org.au/api/mcp/user — adds log_sun_session and get_sun_sessions against the user's profile - Transport: streamable HTTP, stateless JSON-RPC POST. Discovery: RFC 9728 protected-resource metadata; CIMD and Dynamic Client Registration supported. ## Start here - [Sunwise burn-time check](https://sunwise.org.au/): photo → skin type → live UV → minutes before burning, in about a minute - [Burn-time chart](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time): time to sunburn for every skin type at every UV level, with the model explained - [Live UV index](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index): what the UV index means and live readings for Australian locations - [Sun safety guide](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-safety): Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide, done properly - [Fitzpatrick skin types](https://sunwise.org.au/skin-types): the six types, how they burn, and how to find yours - [Sun-session tracker](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-session): live UV dose tracking with sunscreen reminders (free account) ## Burn time by UV level - [UV 3 burn times](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/uv-3): UV 3 is the level where sun protection starts in Australia. - [UV 4 burn times](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/uv-4): At UV index 4, fair skin can burn in about 35–40 minutes. - [UV 5 burn times](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/uv-5): UV index 5 gives fair skin under 30 minutes before it starts to burn. - [UV 6 burn times](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/uv-6): UV 6 is officially 'high': fair skin can burn in under 25 minutes. - [UV 7 burn times](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/uv-7): At UV index 7, fair skin burns in about 20 minutes. - [UV 8 burn times](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/uv-8): UV index 8 is 'very high': very fair skin can burn in under 20 minutes. - [UV 9 burn times](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/uv-9): At UV 9, very fair skin can begin to burn in about 15 minutes. - [UV 10 burn times](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/uv-10): UV index 10 gives very fair skin about 13 minutes before burning starts. - [UV 11 burn times](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/uv-11): UV 11 is officially 'extreme': very fair skin can burn in about 12 minutes. - [Minimal erythema dose: the science behind burn times](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/minimal-erythema-dose): What is a minimal erythema dose? How dermatology measures the UV dose that makes skin burn, typical MED values for each Fitzpatrick skin type, and how MED plus the UV index gives a time-to-burn estimate. - [How long does SPF 50 last? Less than the maths says](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/how-long-does-spf-50-last): SPF 50 in theory multiplies your burn time by 50, in practice it must be reapplied every 2 hours. - [SPF 50 vs SPF 30: how much longer do you really get?](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/spf50-vs-spf30): SPF 50 blocks 98% of UV, SPF 30 blocks 96.7%, sounds tiny, but SPF 30 lets 67% more UV through to your skin. - [How long can you tan without burning? An honest answer](https://sunwise.org.au/burn-time/tan-without-burning): There's no safe way to tan, a tan is UV damage your skin is trying to limit. ## Sun safety - [Can you get sunburnt on a cloudy day? Yes, here's why](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-safety/sunburn-on-cloudy-days): Up to 80% of UV radiation passes through light cloud, and broken cloud can even amplify it. - [Can you get sunburnt through a window or in the car?](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-safety/sunburn-through-windows): Glass blocks the UVB that causes sunburn but lets through much of the UVA that causes ageing and skin damage. - [Can you get sunburnt in winter in Australia?](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-safety/sunburn-in-winter): In northern Australia the UV index stays at 3+ all winter; in the southern capitals midday winter UV is usually low, except in the snow. - [Does UV go through clothes? What UPF ratings really mean](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-safety/does-uv-go-through-clothes): A typical white cotton T-shirt has a UPF of only about 5, and less when wet. - [Why is Australia's UV so high? Four compounding reasons](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-safety/why-is-australian-uv-so-high): Australian summer UV runs 10–15% stronger than comparable northern latitudes: Earth's orbit, cleaner air, latitude and ozone all stack. - [UV index vs temperature: why hot days aren't the dangerous ones](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-safety/uv-index-vs-temperature): A 19°C spring day can carry the same skin-burning UV as a 35°C scorcher. - [Babies and the UV index: what's actually safe](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-safety/babies): Babies under 12 months should be kept out of direct sun whenever the UV index is 3 or above. - [Sun protection for tradies: the job-site guide](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-safety/tradies): Outdoor workers cop 5–10 times the UV of indoor workers, and skin cancer is a compensable workplace injury in Australia. - [The best time to run outside in Australia (by the sun, not the clock)](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-safety/runners): The best time to run in an Australian summer is before UV climbs past 3, usually before 8–9 am or after 5–6 pm. - [How often should you reapply sunscreen? Every 2 hours, here's why](https://sunwise.org.au/sun-safety/sunscreen-reapplication): Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, and straight after swimming, sweating or towelling, regardless of SPF. ## Skin types - [Type I: Very fair](https://sunwise.org.au/skin-types/type-1): Fitzpatrick type I skin always burns and never tans: pale skin, often freckles, red or blond hair. - [Type II: Fair](https://sunwise.org.au/skin-types/type-2): Fitzpatrick type II skin burns easily and tans only lightly. - [Type III: Light to medium](https://sunwise.org.au/skin-types/type-3): Fitzpatrick type III skin sometimes burns and tans gradually, the most misjudged skin type in Australia. - [Type IV: Olive to tan](https://sunwise.org.au/skin-types/type-4): Fitzpatrick type IV is olive skin that rarely burns and tans easily. - [Type V: Brown](https://sunwise.org.au/skin-types/type-5): Fitzpatrick type V is brown skin that very rarely burns and tans deeply. - [Type VI: Deep brown to black](https://sunwise.org.au/skin-types/type-6): Fitzpatrick type VI is deeply pigmented skin that almost never burns. - [Fitzpatrick skin type quiz: work out your type in two minutes](https://sunwise.org.au/skin-types/quiz): Work out your Fitzpatrick skin type with the standard self-assessment dermatologists use: score your colouring and your skin's reaction to sun, then match your total to types I–VI. - [ITA°: the colour angle that measures skin tone](https://sunwise.org.au/skin-types/ita-angle): The Individual Typology Angle (ITA°) measures skin tone objectively from colour values instead of self-report. - [How to tell if you have fair skin (and which fair type you are)](https://sunwise.org.au/skin-types/fair-skin): Fair skin isn't just 'pale': burn history, freckling, colouring and undertone all count. - [Where the Fitzpatrick scale fails darker skin](https://sunwise.org.au/skin-types/fitzpatrick-scale-limitations): The Fitzpatrick scale was built in 1975 to dose light therapy for white skin, types V and VI were added later. ## Live UV by city - [UV index Sydney](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/sydney): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Sydney, NSW - [UV index Melbourne](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/melbourne): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Melbourne, VIC - [UV index Brisbane](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/brisbane): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Brisbane, QLD - [UV index Perth](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/perth): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Perth, WA - [UV index Adelaide](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/adelaide): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Adelaide, SA - [UV index Gold Coast](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/gold-coast): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Gold Coast, QLD - [UV index Canberra](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/canberra): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Canberra, ACT - [UV index Newcastle](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/newcastle): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Newcastle, NSW - [UV index Hobart](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/hobart): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Hobart, TAS - [UV index Darwin](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/darwin): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Darwin, NT - [UV index Wollongong](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/wollongong): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Wollongong, NSW - [UV index Cairns](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/cairns): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Cairns, QLD - [UV index Townsville](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/townsville): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Townsville, QLD - [UV index Sunshine Coast](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/sunshine-coast): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Sunshine Coast, QLD - [UV index Byron Bay](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/byron-bay): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Byron Bay, NSW - [UV index Geelong](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/geelong): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Geelong, VIC - [UV index Bunbury](https://sunwise.org.au/uv-index/bunbury): live UV, today's peak and burn times in Bunbury, WA - Every other Australian suburb and town has a live page too — see the [sitemap](https://sunwise.org.au/sitemap.xml). ## Optional - [MCP server guide](https://sunwise.org.au/mcp): connect an AI assistant to Sunwise - [Sitemap](https://sunwise.org.au/sitemap.xml): all ~16,000 pages - [Open-Meteo](https://open-meteo.com/): the UV and weather forecast source Sunwise credits on every live page